Major in Linguistics

The focus of the linguistics program does not lie alone in the acquisition of language skills, but rather in learning to analyze linguistic phenomena with a view toward making significant generalizations about the nature of language.

Students majoring in Linguistics build their programs around a specific area of emphasis. In consultation with the faculty, students design a program of study tailored to individual interests and goals.

Desired Learning Outcomes Include:

The ability to explicate an extended linguistic argumentation.

The ability to analyze linguistic data with a view towards making significant generalizations about the corpus of data within the framework of a theory about the nature of language

Acquiring an in–depth knowledge of a specific area of emphasis tailored to the student’s interests.

Typical areas of emphasis include philology (the historical and comparative study of ancient languages), psycholinguistics, and language acquisition.
A major in Linguistics prepares students for a wide array of careers including education, law, publishing, speech pathology, government service, and computer science.

Linguistics majors should develop proficiency in one foreign language and competence in at least one other language at a level appropriate to their career plans.
Further exposure to a non-Indo-European language is desirable (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew, Arabic, Turkish—all of which are taught within the Department of Slavic & Eastern Languages and Literatures)

Meet Our Accomplished Students of Linguistics

Emily Arnold is Board Member and Baritone player for the BC Marching Band

Elizabeth Bae has organized a penpal program linking BC students with Japanese college students

Jolivia Barros (LG 16) is Field Organizer for Boston mayoral candidate John Barros

Erika Bjerklie works part-time as an Information Specialist at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts

Doyle Calhoun (LG 16) is a member of the BC Sailing team, now competing for the ACC championship

Jay Chin (LG 15) has completed his English translation of ‘On the Practice of Hesychasm’ by Kallistos Tellikoudis, written in Byzantine Greek

Edem Dela-Seshie is radio DJ at the BC radio station, WZBC, and works at an art therapy program for adults in Brookline, MA

Matt Destruel (MA student), Bryan Fleming (MA 2009), and Audrey Smith (MA 2012) together edited and published the first-ever issue of Lingua Frankly: Boston College Working Papers in Linguistics (see announcement on this website!)

Alyssa Ellard didn’t even bring up the fact that she is writing a senior thesis on language planning in Algeria and Morocco

Shaughnessy Flint is International Assistant Coordinator for International Freshmen and Exchange Students

Erin Fulong and Erika Bjerklie cut a record together in the summer of 2013

Kathy O’Keefe (LG 15) is a member of the BC women’s varsity Track team, and is too modest to mention either that she completed a triathalon in the summer of 2013, or that she was named to the Indoor Academic All-ACC Team

Catherine Palmer (LG MA 16) was a presenter at the 2013 Conference on the Americas, and at the 2013 North Georgia Annual Research Conference

Brandon Short interned for the District Attorney's office in Brooklyn, New York last summer

Cindy Tung (LG 15) is on the Board of the Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team

Jon Tveit (LG 10) was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of New York on 28 May 2016.

Andrea Wrisley was Coordinator of the summer program at International House Boston last summer; back on campus, she has served as an International Assistant and as a Language Partner

Emily Arnold will be studying at the Sorbonne in Paris next semester

Elizabeth Bae studied at Tokyo’s Sophia University in the spring of 2013

Jolivia Barros worked at the Brazilian Consulate in Boston

Both Eden Dela-Sheshie and Alyssa Ellard traveled to Bordeaux, France over the summer

Erin Furlong studied at the University of London’s School for Oriental and African Studies last spring, and later traveled to Japan to view the cherry blossoms

Genie Han has worked in Guatemala for the last two summers

Cynthia Leonardo has been Culture Chair of the BC Japan Club, and is now Director of Social / Political Action of the BC Organization of Latin American Affairs

Gunnar Lund studied abroad in Sweden in 2013

Matt Schlanger is volunteering as an English language teacher at a Linguistic Center in St. Petersburg, Russia

Brandon Short is ‘loving living in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain—a linguistically rich bilingual (Catalan and Spanish) community’

Cindy Tung spent seven weeks in Papua New Guinea last summer with Wycliffe Bible Translators, following a translator around and learning Tok Pisin. Back at Boston College, she is on the executive board of the Taiwanese Cultural Organization

Patrick Walsh volunteered in Huancayo, Peru for three months

Elizabeth Bae was granted a Gilman Scholarship for study abroad in Tokyo in 2013